Der Baader Meinhof Komplex (2008)

A look at Germany's terrorist group, The Red Army Faction (RAF), which organized bombings, robberies, kidnappings and assassinations in the late 1960s and '70s.

Overlong, but cursory overview of the events, very well restaged and avoiding any political bias.

The events depicted in the movie have very much been an essential part of my youth, especially from the events the Olympics 1972 on. Therefore, I did have a strange feeling watching this. The events are there, and everything is staged in a very fast pace like ticking off a list. Where the movie does fail is trying to show the motivations of anybody involved, not even the state's actions are really explained, and essentially you get a few theoretical statements, both from the gang as from Horst Herold. But those statements only outline the basic standpoints of the opposing sides.

What is missing is the atmosphere of fear and dread that was prevalent in Germany in the 70s, and there was a real threat of the country turning into a police state.